Skip to main content

Dogwoods in May


Beautiful dogwood trees are in full bloom right now around our home and around town. These trees are among my favorite of all time, because they have such gorgeous flowers in late April and into May.  Another aspect which fascinates me about dogwoods is the seemingly delicate network of branches that shoot laterally.  To my mind, it is breathtaking and absolutely wonderful that nature can produce such a beautiful tree for us.  

Whenever I’m driving or walking around town I always look to see what types of trees people have on their properties.  It gives me a sense of what my neighbors like, what they admire and what they love to look at on a daily basis.  Many of them have at least one dogwood in front of their homes, while others have several.  How many do we have at home?  I honestly have never counted!  

I don’t think I’ve ever come across a tree I hated or thought unsightly.  In my humble opinion, every tree has its redeeming qualities.  

Over the weekend, after attending the yearly plant sale at the local library, I had a good walk through several streets near my home because the weather was perfect.  Sunny and in the low 70s.  Since I had a camera with me, I took a few pictures of the dogwoods I admire.  

Have a look.

This neighbor's yard is surrounded by many dogwoods that are lovingly cared for.  Their wonderful colonial home makes the perfect backdrop to the magnificent trees which are admired by the many passersby. 

 Aren't the blooms beautiful?  You know it's early May when the dogwoods look like this.

 One final look before heading home.


The neighbors on our road have a multitude of trees.  It's the dogwoods which line a few properties that always make me look twice.  You can see the white flowering trees along the right hand side as I make my way to the house.

This particular dogwood always seems rather lonely here sitting next to the rhododendrons.  I think it needs a companion tree.

This house across the street from us has a short, yet elegant dogwood at the entrance to the driveway.

Then we come to the field here at home.  There are several dogwoods scattered around the perimeter of the meadow.

I love this vista at the western end of the meadow.  On my daily walks around the paths here, I love to see what birds, insects and other animals are using the area.  It's never the same from day to day.  Perhaps I should take a small video to show you what it's like.  I won't make any promises, but we'll see!


Enjoy Spring!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Antique Salt Cellars

There was a time when salt cellars played an important role on the dining table for the host or hostess.  As a result of it being such an expensive commodity several hundred years ago, salt was seen as a luxury and it was the well to do that made salt cellars quite fashionable & a status symbol for the home.  A single salt cellar usually sat at the head of the table and was passed around throughout the meal.  The closer one sat to the salt cellar, the more important one was deemed by the head of the household.  Smaller cellars that were more accessible and with an open top became a part of Victorian table settings.  Fast forward to the 20th century when salt was no longer a luxury and when anti caking agents were added to make salt free-flowing, and one begins to see salt cellars fall out of fashion.  Luckily for the collector and for those of us who like to set a table with Good Things , this can prove to be a boon. Salt cellars for the table come in silver, porcelain, cut glass

Collecting Jadeite

With its origins dating back to the 1930s, jadeite glassware began its mass production through the McKee Glass Co. in Pennsylvania. Their introduction of the Skokie green & Jade kitchenware lines ushered in our fascination with this jade color.  Glassmakers catered jadeite to the American public as an inexpensive alternative to earthenware soon after the Depression, both for the home and for its use in restaurants.  The Jeanette Glass Company and Anchor Hocking introduced their own patterns and styles, which for many collectors, produced some of the most sought after pieces.  Companies marketed this beautiful glass under the monikers of jadite , jadeite , jade glass , jad-ite , jade-ite , so however you want to spell it, let it draw you in for a closer look.  If you want a thorough history of the origins of jadeite, collectors’ pricing, patterns & shapes (don’t forget the reproductions in 2000), I highly suggest picking up the book by Joe Keller & David Ross called, Jadei

A Tour of Turkey Hill with Martha Stewart and Friends

Martha Stewart led an intimate tour of her former Westport, Connecticut home and gardens for a few of my friends this past weekend.  From the photographs I've seen of that special day, it was an experience that will be remembered for a lifetime by those who were in attendance.  As much as I regret not going to this momentous occasion, my friends were kind enough to allow me to share their amazing photographs here on the blog. Let's take a tour of Turkey Hill with Martha Stewart and a few of my friends. Without the kindness of Jeffrey Reed, Dennis Landon, Darrin David, Anthony Picozzi and Colin Eastland, this post would not be possible.  It must also be stated that the fundraising event was graciously hosted by the current owners of Turkey Hill, the Bergs. Many thanks to the Berg family for opening up the property. Turkey Hill is the Federal style home that was purchased, renovated and landscaped by Martha Stewart and her then husband, Andy, back in 1970.  It was he